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Friday, December 3, 2010

Fresh and Fruity, Now for Men! (Bouchard Aine & Fils Beaujolais)

I'm a man. I am a man who likes light fruity wine, of course not to the exclusion of big and bold wine. How did it come about that people started associating masculinity and femininity with wine? I was in class the other day, the subject of the lecture was Italian wine. We began discussing Barolo and Barbaresco, of which their wines were described as being quite similar but Barolo more masculine to the feminine Barbaresco. Oh how 17th or maybe 18th (I can't remember the exact time period) century aristocrats would marvel at our gendered wines, not to say they weren't gendered back then. Were you fortunate enough to be part of the rich elite, your more refined palate would favour the delicate and elegant white wines of France, that is assuming you were a man. How things have changed.

In a world where we are pushing toward a bold new future of gender neutrality, or equality or whatever people are saying these days, a step in the right direction might be to start drinking whatever the hell tastes good, not what represents you as a man or a women. Last time I checked both men and women alike savour tastes such as bananas, strawberries, and pepper all flavours associated with the 'effeminate' Beaujolais.

Producer: Bouchard Aine & FilsRegion: Beaujolais, Burgundy, FranceGrape: Gamay Noir (usually just called gamay but apparently there are a whole bunch of other less common gamays)Vintage: 2008Alc: 12% (perfect for lunch)Price: $13

Notes: I was introduced to this wine by my friend Anna who apparently has a most prodigious palate. Look for strawberries, hints of red apple and pepper. I didn't notice the pepper until reading Anna's tasting notes it's very subtle but she's very observant. Light fruity easy drinking exactly as a Beaujolais should be. This is a solid afternoon wine and deserves a big Nice!

Carbonic Maceration
If you are ever trapped on a desert island strangely devoid of yeast yet overrun with grapes you will be glad you read this. Carbonic maceration is a process that turns sugar into alcohol without the help of yeast. It is the process that gives Beaujolais its' distinctive light red fruit flavour and noticeable lack of tannin, oddities in the world of red wine.

When you eventually become overtaken by the insatiable desire for an alcoholic beverage on the island you now inhabit you will need to construct a vessel. In this vessel you will have to remove all the oxygen and replace it with CO2. In the CO2 rich environment place some of the native grapes, wait a few weeks and viola! Your thirst will be quenched. Grapes, when put into a CO2 rich environment, will go through carbonic maceration turning the sugars into alcohol. You will be most pleased you read this as you sip on the light and fruity fruits of your labour.

If you never find yourself stuck in the middle of the ocean you can still give thanks for the beautiful light flavour of the carbonically macerated gamay grape, try a Beaujolais...

1 comment:

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